Though it will be apparent that the present invention has a wide variety of uses it will be described primarily as it is used for the reception of raked leaves.
There are on the market over-sized plastic bags especially intended to receive raked leaves. Because these bags are not intended to receive heavy trash such as cans and bottles they are usually of a thin single ply construction which can be easily ripped or punctured. The bags are very limp and because of their large size it is difficult for one person to both hold them open and dump in leaves. Bag holders for the purpose of retaining the bag open have been proposed but they have drawbacks. For example, in the patent to Simpson U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,603 there is disclosed a three-sided bag insert similar to a dust pan. Since leaves ideally are raked up by the use of a fan type rake, when used with a Simpson type holder, the raker must be careful lest the rake strike the unprotected upper edge of the rather flimsy bag and rip it open.
Another problem with prior bag holders is that though they may be provided with means for securely fastening a bag to the holder as shown, for example, in the patent to Dieter U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,533 when the holder, with bag attached, is dragged over rough ground, the bag which is in direct contact with the ground, is very likely to be ruptured. The patent to Pravettone U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,728 provides a bag holder which would cater to this problem so long as the bag is not over-large. Pravettone provides a wheeled frame which completely encompasses the bag and the bag is embraced top and bottom when the frame is on its side, by meshed walls. Were the frame to be of a size to accommodate a conventional leaf bag, the frame would have to be so large as to be unwieldly. Further, because the bag is encompassed on all sides by the frame, the bag is prevented from expanding to a completely filled condition.